China's coastal nuclear power plants are being designed and retrofitted to couple electricity generation with seawater desalination. The Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant on Hainan — which also hosts the Linglong One SMR — can supply electricity, district heating, and desalinated seawater from the same facility. The IAEA praised CNNC's multi-purpose nuclear technology approach during a visit in April 2025.
Nuclear desalination uses waste heat from the reactor's cooling cycle to power thermal desalination processes (multi-stage flash or multi-effect distillation), or electricity from the reactor to run reverse osmosis membranes. The advantage is baseload reliability: unlike solar-powered desalination, nuclear-powered systems produce fresh water 24/7 regardless of weather. This is critical for island territories and military installations where water security is a strategic priority.
China's island-building program in the South China Sea creates demand for exactly this technology — reliable fresh water production at remote locations without dependence on supply chains. The Qingdao Baifa facility is also integrating AI-driven optimization with desalination, cutting operational costs by 15%. China's national desalination capacity has grown rapidly, with the government targeting significant expansion as northern China faces increasing water stress from climate change and industrial demand.